BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Officials in Birmingham say the number
of homicides in the city dropped in 2009 for the third straight
year.

The Birmingham News reports that Birmingham ended the year with
71 homicides, compared with 88 in 2008, 93 in 2007, and 109 in
2006.

The newspaper says Huntsville recorded 12 homicides in 2009
compared with 19 in 2008. In Mobile, there were 24 killings in 2009
and 42 in 2008.

Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper credits his department's
Crime Reduction Team and the hard work of officers in several units
for reducing all crime in the city this year, including homicide.

In all of Jefferson County, there were 115 homicides in 2009,
down from 125 in 2008, 135 in 2007 and 151 in 2006.